Under Your Spell
by Nicoley117-TheBlueMartini
Summary: Hogwarts AU. One could say Cassian, a Gryffindor, has had an obsession with Nesta Archeron, a Slytherin, since their fourth year at Hogwarts. But as they enter their seventh and final year, Cassian realizes he has feelings for her and is determined to ask her out on a date before he runs out of time. He can only hope she'll agree to go out with him.


**A/N:** I was in the midst of drafting a post-ACOFAS Nessian multi-chapter fic when I got a bit of writer's block, then had read a tumblr post about what Hogwarts houses would the ACOTAR characters be in. A plot bunny was then born and I had to write this (despite not being one for AUs really...) because the thought of Nesta and Cassian at Hogwarts was SO CUTE to me!

I just figured this oneshot would be around 5K words and not 15K words (!). I hope you enjoy it!

One warning: Tomas makes an appearance in this story, but when Nesta tells him to stop kissing and touching her, he does...he's just a royal jerk about it.

* * *

One could say Cassian has had an obsession with Nesta Archeron since their fourth year at Hogwarts.

As a Gryffindor, he didn't pay Nesta much attention before then. She was a Slytherin after all. They surely had classes together, but he typically only hung around with his best friends, fellow Gryffindors Rhysand and Azriel.

But in their fourth year, during a Potions class, Cassian had his first significant interaction with Nesta.

Each student had been required to make a boil cure potion. Cassian had failed to make the potion correctly at first, having added snails instead of horned slugs to his concoction. So toward the end of class, he had to start the potion off from scratch and hurriedly put it together. In his rush, he had plopped the horned slugs into his brew, which happened to splash the unfinished potion onto Nesta's arm as she walked by. Soon, big, red, pus-filled boils began to form not only on her arm but all over her body as she gave him the most horrifying glare that felt like it pierced his very soul. Then, in a bold move, she reached for the spoon beside him, stuck it into his brew, and purposefully splashed him back. Instantly, the boils covered his own body as he scowled at her.

The two of them had been sent to the hospital wing, where they were placed in beds next to each other. Despite his apology for accidentally splashing her, Nesta sent insults his way the entire afternoon, and Cassian felt compelled to fire back at her.

And ever since that day, they've always bickered at and teased each other.

At first, Cassian was truly annoyed with her whenever he saw her. But at some point over the years, he began _seeking_ her out to playfully tease her because he grew to _enjoy_ their interactions.

He wasn't sure what it was about her. He simply felt drawn to her. Perhaps it was her boldness. Perhaps it was because she didn't fawn over him and his friends like the other girls at Hogwarts did. Or maybe it was because she could verbally spar with him.

...As well as hold her own in a physical spar with him. In their fifth year, they had to duel each other in a Defense Against the Dark Arts class (using non-injurious spells, of course). With every spell he shot at her, she was always ready to shield herself and shoot one back. Neither of them were able to disarm the other, resulting in a tie.

Not only was she strong in intelligence and her fight, but she was beautiful. Cassian could never ignore that fact. From her high cheekbones to her luscious lips to the wicked amusement that would sometimes flicker in her smoky gray eyes...everything about her physique was alluring.

In fact, it was those captivating eyes of hers that had him beginning to question if he actually had feelings for her. Towards the end of their sixth year, he had been caught after curfew snogging with Hufflepuff Holly Langforden in a broom closet by Nesta. Upon finding them both with tousled hair and disheveled clothes, Nesta's beautiful eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in irritation as, ever the prefect, she announced she was deducting ten points from both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff before angrily ordering them to return to their dormitories.

And yet, seeing Nesta's shocked and fury-filled eyes had made him feel...guilty. If it was any other prefect who had caught them, he wouldn't have felt bad at all. In fact, he'd been caught snogging other girls in broom closets multiple times since his fifth year, and it never bothered him one bit to be breaking the rules. It only bothered him that he couldn't snog the girls a little while longer.

But Nesta finding him...had brought a weird feeling to his stomach. He didn't cheerfully return to his dormitory afterwards as he usually would have done, having just made out with a girl. Instead, he walked at a slow pace, head cast down, with his hands in his pockets as he contemplated that strange feeling.

It was as though he felt sorry Nesta had caught him with someone else. That he regretted it instantly upon seeing Nesta open the door.

That he perhaps wished it was her he was actually snogging, untangling the crown braid around her head as he did so.

But he was quick to push that thought away. It had nearly been the summer anyway, and he had been certain he would soon forget all about her.

Well, he went off to Rhys' home for the summer...and couldn't forget about her.

All he could seem to think about was _her._

The sight of books sprawled about Rhys' home made him think of all the times he'd seen Nesta at the library. Rhys' mother's garden of various flowers had him remembering the one time he witnessed her sister placing flowers within Nesta's hair as they sat beside the Great Lake. The grayness of the sky on stormy days reminded him of her eyes. Even in the simple, silly things such as noticing the contrast of silverware at dinner against a green tablecloth brought his favorite Slytherin to mind.

He missed bickering with her. He missed her witty comebacks and her clever insults.

He just missed _her._

And that was when he knew that he had to ask her out this year - their final year at Hogwarts. Before they went off to pursue their careers, he had to figure out whatever this thing with Nesta was...and if it was something that could last longer than their time at Hogwarts.

As he boarded the Hogwarts Express, with Rhys and Az following behind him, he searched for a compartment for them to sit. They'd been running pretty late, as usual, and most of the compartments were already full.

But towards the back, upon popping his head in one compartment, Cassian was delighted to find Nesta's two sisters...with an empty spot next to them that would likely be filled by her.

And space to fit three more passengers across from them.

Cassian's face beamed, and he felt his heart race as he asked, "Mind if we join you ladies?"

"Oh, please do," Elain said sweetly with a kind smile, while Feyre nodded in agreement.

Cassian nodded in thanks to them. He had only ever had very brief interactions with Elain. She was a sixth-year Hufflepuff, and he didn't see her often. He knew Feyre only slightly better since she was a fellow housemate, just two years younger than him.

Rhys and Az followed behind him into the compartment, and he could see the faces of Elain and Feyre brighten as everyone greeted each other.

Cassian plopped down in the seat across from the empty one he had assumed Nesta would soon fill. His heart began to pound at the prospect of seeing her after such a long summer without her.

A summer of dreaming about her and hoping he could go out with her.

Elain seemed to catch him looking at the empty space beside her. "Nesta's in the prefect's compartment, but she usually stops by to see us."

Cassian hoped his disappointment didn't show on his face. The prefect's compartment...he had completely forgotten about the special perks of being a prefect.

But that also meant that as a prefect, she would have to patrol the train's corridor at some point today. The thought brought a slight grin to his face. He could just make...periodic visits to the bathroom, maybe linger a bit in the train corridor, with the hope of seeing Nesta.

So for the following six hours aboard the train, that's what he did. At the top of each hour, he'd make a leisurely walk to and from the bathroom...and sometimes get scolded by a prefect who wasn't Nesta.

At one point, Rhys and Az thought something was wrong with him for having to go to the bathroom so many times. Not wanting to admit his true intentions in front of Nesta's sisters, he simply insisted he was bored of just sitting around and needed to keep moving.

But now he was actually bored of pretending to go to the bathroom with no success of seeing Nesta. Cassian sighed as he stared out the glass window and watched the green scenery roll by as dusk fell. Rhys and Az were still in casual conversation with Feyre and Elain...but Cassian's anxiousness over seeing Nesta prevented him from paying any attention to them.

Cassian glanced down at his watch. It was nearly an hour since he last left the compartment and probably about two hours until they reached Hogwarts. He supposed he could go ahead and change into his robes now before the mad dash of students going to the bathroom.

Grabbing his robes from his suitcase and stepping out of the compartment, he slowly turned his head from the left to the right, searching for any sign of a prefect.

And there was none. Cassian groaned before turning left and headed to the bathroom.

Once he put on his new robes, he left the bathroom and wandered down the corridor past his compartment. Every prefect had a shift to patrol the corridor. Surely, with two hours to go, Nesta would be out here.

As he casually walked along, he eventually stopped in between two compartments and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms against his chest with the clothes he had just changed out of draped over one of his arms. He might as well just wait for her to show up...and then she could scold him for hanging around in the passageway.

And so he waited.

And waited.

And then finally…

"Get back in your compartment!" a familiar voice reprimanded him from his right. Cassian turned up his head at her and smiled brightly. There Nesta stood, with her familiar stormy eyes and her stern expression. Her light pink lips glowed against her sun-kissed skin, and her braid crown made her seem angelic despite her irritated expression. Had she somehow become more beautiful over the summer or had he simply misremembered her beauty?

Nesta held up her wand and directed it at him.

"But I'm rather enjoying this view," Cassian said with a smirk as he stared at her intently.

"Go back to your compartment and look at the scenery outside the window if you're looking for a view," Nesta suggested in a steely tone.

"But this view is so much prettier," he said, still grinning and still intently staring at her. He could count the few small freckles on her nose.

(There were seven.)

A light pink blush briefly covered Nesta's cheeks, and upon seeing it, Cassian longed to have many opportunities where he could make her blush.

"Is that the same line you used to get Holly Langforden to jump in a broom closet with you?" Nesta asked drily.

At first, Cassian frowned. But the fact that she even remembered who she caught him in a broom closet with…

"No. But does it make _you_ want to jump in a broom closet with me?"

"Absolutely not," she answered coldly. "Why don't you go find her compartment anyway and see if that line works? Isn't she your girlfriend?"

"You sure seem interested in my love life. Are you jealous?" he smirked at her.

"Any woman that takes your attention away from me has both my gratitude and my sympathy," she stated snobbily.

Cassian frowned again. "Well, for your information, I broke up with her before the summer," he replied.

"What a shame for me. But a relief for her at least."

"You know you missed me this summer, Archeron. Admit it," he teased her, but secretly hoped she actually did miss him as much as he missed her.

"I did not miss being annoyed by you one bit. Now get back to your compartment," Nesta prodded his upper arm with her wand, gesturing for him to get a move on.

Cassian gradually started moving, and Nesta followed him to ensure he returned to his compartment.

As Cassian slid open the door to his compartment, he heard Nesta let out a small gasp behind him.

"Nesta!" Elain shouted upon seeing her behind him.

Cassian took his seat and looked back to Nesta to find her frowning more deeply at him as well as Rhys and Az.

"What are you doing sharing a compartment with my sisters?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Nesta, they needed a place to sit!" Elain tried to explain, but Nesta just continued to stare intently at Cassian.

Stars, he loved her eyes even when they glowered at him.

"Nes, there was nowhere else for us to sit, except for the aisle, where I would've gotten run over by the trolley," Cassian stated.

"That sounds like it would've been the perfect place for you to sit," Nesta spat. "And don't call me Nes!"

"Well, maybe it would've been the perfect spot because you could've found me in the aisle and scolded me for being there, and I could've seen your beautiful face much sooner," Cassian said as he winked at her.

Elain and Feyre giggled at his comment and looked up at Nesta expectantly, wanting to see how she would respond. Rhys and Az's eyes widened in amusement at his comment.

The seam of Nesta's lips remained in a straight line across her face, clearly unimpressed with his reply. "You better not have corrupted my sisters."

"Nesta!" Feyre exclaimed. "They have done no such thing."

"You've brain-washed them already, I see," Nesta said, still not removing her eyes from Cassian's. Feyre sighed out of frustration.

"Nesta, here's your book. It was in my bag," Elain said, changing the subject as she dug through her sack and pulled out a book to give to Nesta.

As Nesta accepted the book, Cassian noticed it was a Potions textbook.

And that could mean…

"Nesta, are you taking Potions this year?"

Nesta didn't deign to verbally respond to him. Instead, she just firmly nodded.

"Perhaps, we'll share a Potions class then," Cassian added.

Nesta let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll see you two later," Nesta said with a look to her sisters. Then turning to him, Rhy and Az, she gave them a cold look. "Don't you dare corrupt them."

Nesta turned and left the compartment, ignoring her sisters' protests at her statement.

Cassian could only sigh contentedly at having seen Nesta. Despite her insults, his heart was pumping wildly within him.

He'd never had such a reaction over simply talking to a girl before.

If his summer of daydreaming of her wasn't enough, this was further proof that Nesta was...different. Special. Someone he wanted to spend time with and not _just_ snog in broom closets like some of the other girls.

Cassian suddenly discovered Rhys and Az staring at him.

"What?"

"That look on your face...I've never seen that look on your face before," Rhys said.

"What look?"

"Like you're hopelessly in love," Az piped in.

Elain and Feyre squealed with delight hearing this.

Well, he wasn't sure if he was in love with her, but he certainly wanted to get to know her better.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Elain asked excitedly.

"Soon. But please don't say anything to her," Cassian coolly replied before turning to stare out the window, thinking about possible ideas for what he and Nesta could do for their first date.

* * *

It took Cassian three weeks to figure out what he and Nesta could do for their date.

The date of the first Hogsmeade trip had been announced, which was a little less than two weeks from now. It was the perfect place for a first date, considering there were plenty of shops to explore as well as places to eat together. It was an excellent opportunity for them to really get to know each other.

Now he just actually had to ask her to go with him and hope she would accept.

The two of them indeed ended up having the same Potions class, which occurred twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And every class, Cassian made sure to talk to her and always slip in some sort of comment about how beautiful she was, causing her to blush each time before she told him she had to get to working on the assigned potion and suggested he go do the same.

At least she didn't _angrily_ tell him to go away. And to Cassian, that was progress. Perhaps she was slowly succumbing to his charm.

But today was the day he would finally ask her to go out with him.

And as luck would have it, their Potions professor announced he did not have enough ingredients for everyone to make an individual potion that day and they would all have to work with a partner instead. Typically, students worked with a fellow housemate, but this class just so happened to have an odd number of Gryffindors and an odd number of Slytherins….

Cassian couldn't help but grin to himself as he dashed over to the table Nesta was standing at.

"Nesta, will you be my partner?" Cassian asked casually.

Nesta quickly scanned the room and saw everyone else had paired off already. "Well I guess I have no other choice." She immediately opened up the textbook to the page that listed the potion directions and began walking around the room to gather all the ingredients.

She didn't get angry or upset over being his partner.

 _Progress._

But now...Cassian had to do the actual asking her out on a date part, and that sent his heart racing.

This never happened with any of the other girls he'd asked out...except for maybe the first time he ever asked a girl out. But ever since then, asking girls out came easily to him and he never got worked up over it.

But now…

Cassian didn't understand what was wrong with him.

"Well, don't just stand there," Nesta reprimanded him as she appeared at his side and set down a multitude of vials and jars. "Be useful."

Cassian immediately picked up the textbook and read aloud the first instruction to her. Nesta listened to his words, picking up the jar of powdered moonstone and dumping it into the cauldron that sat on the table before them.

"What next?" Nesta asked.

"Uh, then add three spoonfuls of honeywater," he said a bit shakily. His nerves were getting to him.

Nesta eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure that's what it says? You don't sound confident."

He just needed to ask her out and get this over with.

"Yes, three spoonfuls of honeywater," he reiterated.

Nesta pulled the cork out of the vial of honeywater, then picked up the spoon and began pouring the honeywater onto it, hovering over the top of the cauldron before adding the first spoonful to their concoction.

"Uh, Nesta…" Cassian began, his heart feeling like it would burst through his chest at any moment. He wondered if she could hear it.

"Hmm?" Nesta was focused on putting the second spoonful into their potion and began working on the third.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Nesta's eyes widened and she immediately looked away from her spoon to look up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Would you like to go on the Hogsmeade trip that's coming up...with me ?" he said, not really sure what else she was looking for him to say.

"Like a date?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?" she questioned him incredulously. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Yes, I'm serious. No, it's not a joke," Cassian instantly insisted. "I honestly want to take you out on a date."

"Darn it," Nesta exclaimed upon realizing she had still been pouring honeywater onto the spoon, causing it to overflow and spill into their cauldron. "Look what you made me do! Now our potion will probably come out wrong," she said in a frustrated tone as she put down the vial and the spoon. "You and your games," she muttered.

"Nesta, I'm sorry. This isn't a game. I _truly_ want to go with you to Hogsmeade," Cassian explained.

"Why?"

"Because I want to spend time with you."

"Why?"

"Because I like you, and I want to get to know you better."

Nesta's eyes widened even more at his confession, and she said nothing as she fumbled around for something, anything it seemed, on the table.

"So will you honor me with your presence and go to Hogsmeade with me?" Cassian asked again.

"I can't. Someone else already asked me to go with him," Nesta explained softly.

Her response brought Cassian a flood of emotions. First, fury because who in the world dared to ask Nesta to Hogsmeade before him? Second, sadness because he wasn't going to be able to go to Hogsmeade with her. Third, hope...because Nesta didn't outright deny wanting to go out with him. She simply said she could not go because of another date…

"Who?" Cassian wondered.

"Tomas Mandray."

"Tomas Mandray?" Cassian exclaimed in disgust, his mouth dropping open. "That piece of Slytherin scum?!"

"He is not a piece of scum," Nesta stated sternly. "And in case you've forgotten, I'm a Slytherin too."

"I _know_. I didn't mean you were scum...just that he himself was the Slytherin type of scum," Cassian explained awkwardly.

Nesta simply shook her head, completely perplexed. "Let's get back to the potion," she said.

"Will you go out with me some other time then?" Cassian blurted out, ignoring her request.

"Did you make some bet that you could get me to go on a date with you or what?" Nesta questioned him, her voice quickly returning to its irritated tone. "Or maybe you just wanted to see if you could get my hopes up by asking me on a date and then stand me up for fun."

"No, Nesta," Cassian said urgently as he put down the textbook on the table. He grabbed her hands and stared into her eyes. "This isn't a game or a joke or a bet. I honestly want to go out with you."

Nesta took a deep breath as she stared back at him. "I don't believe you," she said softly.

"What can I do to prove it to you?" Cassian pleaded quietly.

"Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? I'm going out with Tomas and who knows...Maybe it will lead to more dates," Nesta said simply as she pulled her hands out of his grasp.

How could he not have asked soon enough? The Hogsmeade date was only announced just the day before...

 _Damn Tomas Mandray._

The man was a complete and utter dolt and a total snob. Him and Cassian had never gotten along, so they'd always kept their distance from each other.

Crestfallen, Cassian simply lifted up the textbook once more and began to read off the directions in a monotone voice.

Nesta followed his instructions perfectly.

But there was no teasing, no playful bickering, no insults.

They didn't say anything to each other with the exception of the reading of the instructions.

And it just didn't feel...right to him. For them to be like this.

After having gotten his hopes up about a date with Nesta...he felt so disappointed. What was he supposed to do now?

At the end of class, they parted ways without a word to each other.

* * *

Cassian spent the days leading up to the Hogsmeade trip moping around. Even Rhys and Az called him out in it.

"You're seriously this depressed that a Slytherin can't go out with you? Let alone one who's been moody and vicious to you?" Rhys had asked him one afternoon upon seeing him just lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling instead of venturing outside like he usually would have done.

"There's more to her than that cold exterior," Cassian had told him calmly.

When he had seen Nesta during their next few Potions classes, he still acknowledged her...he just didn't really talk to her or tease her like he would've done previously.

And it just felt...strange. Like the joy of going to class was gone.

He'd been rejected before. That was nothing new.

But he had spent so many months longing for a date with Nesta...that for it to not happen was...heartbreaking.

And now the day of the Hogsmeade trip was here, and he still felt grumpy over the whole thing. He didn't bother trying to find another date. He considered no longer going, but Rhys and Az managed to drag him along anyway.

They found themselves a table at the Three Broomsticks, and each had a pint of butterbeer before them.

"Do you think he's going to take her Madam Puddifoot's?" Cassian suddenly wondered aloud.

Az and Rhys gave him a bewildered look. "What are you talking about?" Rhys asked.

"Tomas and Nesta. Do you think he's going to take her to Madam Puddifoot's?" Cassian replied. "He probably is...he would do something completely unoriginal," he muttered bitterly.

Az and Rhys sighed. "Cassian, you've got to stop thinking about this," Az said.

"I can't."

"This isn't even a breakup," Rhys stated. "Just let it go."

Cassian ran a hand through his hair. "It isn't that simple."

"What kind of hold does this girl have on you? You've never had this problem before with other girls."

Cassian sighed as he slumped in his seat. "I don't know."

As he took another sip of butterbeer, he couldn't help but wonder if Nesta was sipping a beverage just as sweet at the tea shop.

* * *

Today marked an important day for Nesta.

It was not only her first date with Tomas Mandray, but her first date...ever.

During her years at Hogwarts, she mostly kept to herself, not really wanting to deal with anyone else...or having the patience to really. She preferred the company of books over others, so she didn't exactly have friends...just her sisters.

At times she felt perfectly content to spend most of her time alone and independently.

But there were times where she felt...utterly alone. Like no one cared or noticed her.

She was shocked when Tomas approached her in the Slytherin common room the other week to ask her to go to Hogsmeade with him. For once, someone actually noticed her…

Tomas was handsome and of good breeding. He came from a wealthy and highly-regarded family. His father worked in the Ministry of Magic...a connection that could potentially benefit Nesta in her future dream career, considering she wanted to work in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Tomas was also intelligent and cunning...Overall, very respectable.

And the complete opposite of the long, dark-haired Gryffindor who had spent the past few years annoying her and teasing her.

Nesta shook her head. She shouldn't be wasting time thinking about him.

Especially when she was currently trying to listen to Tomas rattle about his quidditch accomplishments from across the table.

From her walk with Tomas to Hogsmeade to their arrival at Madam Puddifoot's, they shared light conversation. Even though they were in the same year and same house, they didn't know each other too well.

...Yet Tomas seemed to only really care that _she_ get to know him well. He hardly asked anything about her.

But she continued to listen. She figured he probably was just nervous.

As soon as she took her last sip of tea, Tomas abruptly grabbed hold of her hand. "Let's get out of here." Pulling her away from the table, he whisked her out of the tea shop.

When they stepped outside, Tomas wrapped his arm around her, letting his hand rest at her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Nesta's body tensed as he did so, feeling slightly alarmed that such touching was happening so soon, so quickly. She wasn't used to affection from family to begin with, let alone with someone she didn't know terribly well.

He led her through the crowds, then turned down an alleyway that was between Madam Puddifoot's and another shop. It was empty, but the hustle and bustle of the students could still be heard. Opening up a door at the back of Madam Puddifoots, Tomas pulled her inside, where there were shelves of various teas. Clearly, it was a storage room for the tea shop.

As soon as he closed the door behind them, Tomas yanked her close to him. "Nesta, you are...so beautiful," he remarked huskily as he cupped her face and quickly tilted his head down to capture her lips in a fierce kiss.

Stunned, Nesta could not move away. This wasn't how it happened in the books she read. Usually, the characters knew each other at least a bit before they kissed. She wasn't ready for this. She hardly knew him.

Her heart was pounding as he leaned in for another kiss, moving one of his hands to her thigh against her leggings beneath the fabric of her skirt. When his other hand started playing with the waistband of her skirt, threatening to tug it down, the movement startled her enough that she no longer felt frozen. Regaining her senses, she firmly stepped away from him before he could kiss her once more. "No," she stated forcefully.

Tomas gave her a peculiar look, but then a grin spread across his face. "Oh, you want to find a place that's more comfortable? I know a spot…" he remarked as he reached to grab her hand.

But Nesta quickly stepped back once more so she was out of his reach. "No," she reiterated emphatically as she crossed her arms. She wished she'd brought her wand with her so she could blast him away from her. "I don't want to snog you, nor do I want to sleep with you, you disgusting pig."

Tomas' eyes narrowed at her and stared at her for a moment, taking a few deep breaths as he did so. Then, he suddenly started towards the door, roughly brushing against her shoulder as he passed. "Then what else are you _fuckin' mudbloods_ even good for?" he angrily remarked before leaving the room and rejoining the crowds of students.

Nesta watched him through the open door as he left the alleyway.

Fury raged through her at the words he just said, at him being an egotistical jerk, at herself for not recognizing him as the jerk he was and for foolishly believing that he could ever honestly like a girl like her. She'd been so terribly stupid and felt so...used.

But part of her believed the words he said of her. What else was she good for? She'd never been the friendliest or the kindest person. She kept to herself most of the time and came from a family of no special importance. She was a nobody...someone who wasn't worth caring about.

And even though she strived to become someone _more_ , someone _worthy_ of admiration...there was always something that pulled her back from such delusions.

Before she could stop them, tears slowly started to fall from her eyes.

* * *

After Cassian sipped his last bit of butterbeer, he looked up at his friends with a miserable expression. "I think I'm going to head back to the castle. I'm not in the mood to walk around."

"No, Cassian, we'll head to Zonko's," Rhys said. "You always have fun looking around there."

Cassian sighed. It was true. He always enjoyed seeing the many prankster items at Zonko's...but he simply was not in the mood for it this time.

"Not today," he replied. "I'll see you guys later."

Rhys and Az looked at him with concern as he got up from the table and walked out of the Three Broomsticks.

Upon stepping outside into the cool autumn air, he took a deep breath. He wished he could enjoy the day with his friends...but he just...couldn't.

As he weaved his way through the many gleeful students, his mind wandered, causing him to lose focus on his surroundings. In his daze, he accidentally bumped into one student's shoulder, nearly knocking her to the ground.

When he turned his head to look at the girl, he realized it was none other than Nesta.

...who happened to be alone.

"Nesta!" Cassian exclaimed, and she tilted her head up to look at him. "I'm so sorry!"

Her eyes widened upon seeing him, and Cassian could see they were red-rimmed...as if she had been crying.

"You should...watch where you're going," Nesta remarked weakly. There was no sharp bite to her reprimand.

It was so unlike her.

She turned to walk away, but Cassian was quick to reach out and grab her hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Nesta, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said without looking at him. Instead, she continued to stand still with her eyes focused on the ground. "May I go now?" she asked, feeling annoyed.

He felt she would've yanked her hand out of his grip by now, but she didn't.

"Did Tomas hurt you?" he asked, his voice tinged with anger. "Do I need to hex him?"

"If you do, I'll have to deduct points from Gryffindor."

Cassian released a frustrated sigh. "If he hurt you, then that doesn't matter to me. What happened?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Let go of my hand."

Cassian immediately released her hand. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the castle," she said as she began to walk away from him.

Cassian started to follow her, quickening his pace to catch up to her. He said nothing when he reached her side, instead choosing to simply match her stride.

With a quick glance to him beside her, she frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Going back to the castle," he answered.

"Why are you following me?"

"I'm not. I was already on my way back to the castle when I bumped into you," he stated. "So we might as well walk back together."

Nesta said nothing in response to that. Instead, she pointed her head forward and continued along the path.

They walked in silence for a little while, but that was beginning to drive Cassian crazy. First of all, she didn't seem herself. He thought for sure she would put up a fight to him walking with her. Something was off, and he needed her to return to her true self.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some goodies he had purchased at Honeydukes before he had gone to the Three Broomsticks. "Do you want a chocolate frog? They're your favorite, right?"

Nesta crossed her arms across her chest as she walked. "And how would you know they're my favorite?"

Cassian held out a chocolate frog as he shoved the other candies back into his pocket. "Last year, after a Defense Against the Dark Arts class where we faced boggarts, Elain brought chocolate frogs over to you at lunch to help you feel...less spooked."

Nesta turned her head slightly to the side, and one of her eyebrows rose into an arch. "Have you been stalking me?"

Cassian shook his head. "That day, you just seemed so horrified by your boggart that I...just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Except you chose to do so from afar, instead of coming up to me yourself," Nesta stated.

"As if you would have accepted any help from me," Cassian insisted. "You probably would've insisted you were fine and then would announce you were deducting five points from Gryffindor for me thinking otherwise."

After that comment, he could see the corners of her mouth threatening to twitch upwards, but she fought the smile. The near-smile made Cassian grin.

"It would have been ten points," she admitted.

Cassian chuckled and stuck out his hand again, motioning for her to accept the chocolate frog.

Nesta eyed it warily. "Is this another one of your ways of trying to get girls to jump in a broom closet with you? Find them when they're down, then offer them chocolate?"

"Do you think all I do everyday is try to convince girls to snog me?" he asked, offended that she thought of him this way.

"Considering how many times prefects find you snogging a girl in a broom closet, yes," she answered firmly, still not taking the chocolate frog.

"So you've talked about me with the other prefects?" he said with a smirk.

Nesta rolled her eyes. "We always have to go over how we're deducting points and who the biggest culprits are."

"You've still talked about me," he said with a smirk.

"Only about what a pain in the ass you are."

"And yet who's the one offering you some chocolate and being insulted?"

"I'm not in the mood for chocolate. Especially if it was rejected by all the other girls you probably tried to charm today," Nesta sneered as they approached the Hogwarts castle.

This time, Cassian rolled his eyes. "It really is no surprise that you're patronus is a puma. Always ready to pounce on my ego."

Nesta stopped and faced him, her arms still crossed against her chest. Her eyes softened. "You remember what my patronus is?" she asked quietly.

Cassian halted and simply nodded back at her. "It's pretty impressive. Its form is more distinct than anyone else in our year." He watched as her face turned a light pink.

After a brief moment of silence, Cassian spoke again. "So if you aren't in the mood for chocolate, what are you in the mood for?"

"Lunch," she said with a sigh as she glanced down at her watch. "But it looks like we're past the lunch service time in the Great Hall."

"What do you want for lunch?"

Nesta eyed him skeptically. "What does it matter? We've missed lunch."

Cassian nearly sighed. She always had to make things difficult. "What do you wish you could have had for lunch?"

Nesta shrugged. "Pancakes."

"Then let's go get you pancakes," Cassian said eagerly.

"What are you talking about? Lunch is over. Plus, Hogwarts hardly even makes pancakes."

"Please just trust me for once," he said as he began walking to a castle entryway at a slow pace. He paused at the door and turned his head back toward Nesta, waiting for her to follow him.

Nesta stared at him for a minute. Her eyes were curious and unsure. But eventually she put her arms down at her sides and her feet inched forward to follow after him.

* * *

"I've never been here before," Nesta commented as she stared at the room around her, filled with house elves wandering about with pots and pans.

"I'm usually starving after Quidditch practice, so I was determined to find the kitchens so I could come get a snack," Cassian said.

One house elf ambled up to Cassian, lifting up a large plate of pancakes drizzled with syrup as far as she could reach, which was up to Cassian's waist.

Cassian bent over to take the plate from her hands. "Thank you, Ollie," he said graciously, then grabbed some utensils off a nearby counter.

Beaming, Cassian looked over at Nesta. "Let's go eat," he announced before turning to leave the kitchens.

"We're leaving?"

"Yes. This isn't a proper place for us to eat."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a secret," Cassian said, then turned back to her and found her looking quite annoyed and perplexed. "Just trust me again. I haven't let you down yet," he added as he waved the plate of pancakes around.

Again, she seemed hesitant, but resigned herself to follow him again.

* * *

The two of them headed to the staircase and kept walking further and further up. Nesta wondered if Cassian even had a set spot in mind to eat or if he was just on some hunt to find an area to sit. It wasn't until they had reached the seventh floor that they got off the stairs and headed down a corridor.

Suddenly, Cassian stopped in front of a wall tapestry that depicted some wizard and trolls wearing ballet shoes. There weren't any places to sit, nor were there any rooms nearby, causing Nesta to wonder...what the hell were they doing here.

Cassian turned to her and handed her the plate of pancakes and utensils. "Hold this for a minute."

Nesta's eyebrow rose out of curiosity as Cassian began to walk a few paces, then turned around to walk a few more paces, then turned around again to walk a bit more.

When she was about to question aloud what he was doing, a door suddenly appeared in the wall across from the tapestry.

 _What the…_

Her eyes grew big when Cassian opened the door and gestured for her to enter before him. "After you."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she slowly walked towards the door. Without stepping inside, she peeked her head into the room and found multiple shelves of books, a small table with two chairs, and a few couches. "What is this place?"

"It's called the Room of Requirement. It only appears if someone has great need of it. And we are in great need of an area to sit and eat and enjoy ourselves."

Carefully, Nesta stepped inside the room. There were so many shelves of books in the room, it looked like it was a library. She longed to see what books were there, but she knew her stomach was getting ready to growl any moment now. She needed to eat.

As she set the plate of pancakes down on the small table in the center of the room and sat down, Cassian took the seat across from her.

"So you just...picture the room you need as you walk back and forth in the corridor and then it will appear?" Nesta asked him.

"Basically," Cassin answered, picking up the fork and digging into the pancakes.

Nesta picked up the other fork and took a stab into a fluffy flat cake. "Why did you want this type of room?"

Cassian swallowed the piece of food he was chewing, then opened his mouth to speak. "Well, you love libraries, don't you? That's where I always seem to find you outside of class."

How was it that this boy before her seemed to know her so well? This boy that she always treated as if he was a pestering pixie?

Thinking back to the past few years, it was true that he occasionally found her at the Hogwarts library. He always had to come by her and caused some kind of commotion, either commenting on the book she was reading or the faces she was making as she was reading or some other inane topic. His talking with her always sent Madam Pince scurrying over to them to reprimand them and threaten to kick them out.

Nesta nodded in response to Cassian's question as she took another bite of her pancake. "How did you did you discover this place?"

At her question, Cassian's cheeks turned slightly pink and Nesta knew immediately that she _had_ to know the answer to this question.

When Cassian remained silent, Nesta prodded him. "How?"

"Because I needed a broom closet," he muttered.

Amusement flowed through her at his words. She smirked. "And why did you need a broom closet?" she asked. "Especially since there are so many others in the castle you could have used."

"When I was in fifth year, there was this seventh-year girl from Ravenclaw who didn't want to be caught by her friends snogging a fifth-year, and so I happened to talk to Ollie about it and she told me about this room."

For some reason, the thought of Cassian bringing another girl here didn't sit well with her.

But she pushed that hurt to the side and focused on the fact that she was justified in thinking that Cassian was always on the hunt for girls to snog in broom closets.

"Wow, an older woman," she commented, managing to summon some enthusiasm. "Did you run out of new girls to snog from your own year? Excluding the Slytherins of course," she was quick to note.

Cassian gave her a look that showed he wasn't too pleased with her insinuation. "No."

"Do you just prefer older women then?"

"That depends. When is your birthday?"

"November 1st," she reluctantly answered in between chewing her pancake.

Cassian's mouth spread into a wide grin as he stared intently at her. "Considering you're about two months older than me, then yes, I'd say older women are my preference."

Her cheeks suddenly felt very warm.

But was this just what Cassian did to all the girls? Make them feel like they were special, kiss them senseless, then drop them as if they were nothing? Was this just part of the usual charm he put on?

Suddenly no longer feeling hungry, Nesta put down her fork and got up to explore the books in the room.

Running her fingers along the spines of the books, she read through the titles. _Spellbound After Midnight. Romancing the Womanizing Wizard. Charming the Enchantress._

They all appeared to be romance novels.

Her favorite.

None of the titles seemed familiar. When she was at home, she was only able to read muggle romance novels. The Hogwarts Library only contained a handful of non-school-related books, so to have shelves of unread romance novels written by witches and wizards before her was a complete thrill.

Pulling one book off the shelf, she made her way to the crimson couch on the other side of the room. Sitting down, she opened the book and began reading the first chapter.

A few pages in, she saw Cassian approach her out of the corner of her eye and proceed to plop down in the couch across from her.

When she turned the page, she could feel him staring at her.

A few more page turns later, she could _still_ feel him staring at her.

Putting her book down in her lap, still opened to the page she was on, she looked up at him. "Don't you want to read a book or something?" she questioned him in an irritated voice.

"I am perfectly content studying and memorizing the features of your face," he answered.

Nesta rolled her eyes. "Stop lying."

"I'm not lying," he said as he continued to stare at her. "You're beautiful."

The same words Tomas had said to her earlier that day.

Was Cassian just like him, only more patient? Was he willing to spend more time trying to flatter her to get her to sleep with him?

But the way Cassian said those words was different compared to the way Tomas said them. Tomas' tone made it sound like he was praising a prized object he was thrilled to have in his possession, while Cassian sounded like he was truly admiring _her._

Of course, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how he treated all the other girls he'd been with.

And yet, she remained here in this room with him, instead of bursting out as soon as she was fed. The fact that he remembered her patronus, her love of chocolates and reading...perhaps that's what made her stay. What made her want to find out if Cassian spoke truthfully about wanting to get to know her better.

"Well, I can't read if you're staring at me."

"I apologize," he said, finally shifting his gaze over to a nearby shelf.

Nesta looked over to the shelves too and saw one was filled with games and puzzles instead of books. Closing her book and placing it beside her on the couch cushion, she stood up. "Are you up for a wizard's chess match?"

Cassian grinned a little too mischievously. "Absolutely. Prepare to be beaten, Archeron."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

"I demand a rematch," Cassian insisted after Nesta had just shouted "Checkmate!" and smiled proudly at him. He was too competitive for his own good.

But he was also obsessed with the focus Nesta had during the game. As she analyzed the board and the pieces throughout, he could envision the cogs within her brain clinking together as she determined what to do next. From the way her lips would move slightly to the left when she was deep in thought to the way she would occasionally squint her eyes when looking at the board, Cassian was mesmerized. And then when she would make her move, she did so with such confidence and assuredness, it was captivating.

"We've already played three times," Nesta, sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the chess board from him and completely clueless to the effect she had on him, pointed out. "Can your ego simply not take being beaten by a girl?"

"No. I just want to learn how to play like you. How did you learn to play like that?"

"My father taught me how to play muggle chess when I was young," Nesta revealed. The expression on Nesta's face turned glum, causing Cassian to frown.

"What's wrong? What did I say?" he immediately asked, nervous that he was ruining this moment with her.

Nesta shook her head. "It's nothing. It's just…" she trailed off.

"Go on," Cassian encouraged her gently.

"My father...made some bad investments and ran his business into the ground a few years ago. He hasn't been the same since."

"How so?"

Nesta took a shaky breath. "It's like he's lost the will to live. He hasn't even bothered trying to find another job. He doesn't even want to take care of our family, nor does he really care to hear from us. Thankfully, we have Hogwarts to come to for most of the year…"

Cassian's frown grew deeper. He was aware that their mother had passed away long before she came to Hogwarts. That meant they only had their father to provide for them…

"What does that mean? What happens during the summers?"

"Feyre managed to get lucky this past summer and got a job at a nearby grocery store thanks to a friend. Elain and I have had trouble getting jobs since we can only work during the summers, but sometimes the neighbors will pay for us to do chores for them around the house. We get by," she shrugged.

Cassian stopped himself from letting his mouth drop open in shock. "What happens to your father when you're here at Hogwarts?"

"Our neighbors help take care of him."

Cassian shook his head. "Nesta, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. If I had known…"

Nesta held up her hand and cut him off. "Stop it, Cassian. There is no need to beat yourself up for it."

Cassian stared at her, sadness filling his heart. The whole summer, he had been obsessing over her and thinking of her nearly everyday. Meanwhile, she'd been trying to...survive.

"If it's any consolation...my father walked out on me and my mother shortly after I was born. He went to be someone else's husband and father. And then my mother passed away a few years later," Cassian revealed quietly.

Nesta glanced up at him with sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Cassian," she whispered.

"I didn't mean for you to feel sorry for me. I just wanted you to know that...you're aren't alone in having an...awful dad."

"It's nice to know there's someone...who understands," she said gently.

Cassian gave her a small smile. "It is," he agreed. His breathing slowed as he stared into her eyes and Nesta stared back in silence. He wished he could lean forward and kiss her, but he still couldn't tell just yet if she liked him or not.

Suddenly, Nesta broke their staring contest "Let's play another game," she said abruptly as she stood up to walk past him and look at the shelf of games. "How about Exploding Snap?"

"How about Truth or Dare?" Cassian suggested instead, twisting his body to look up at her from his spot on the ground and smirk at her. Maybe he could better figure out Nesta's feelings during such a game.

Nesta scowled at him.

"Too scared to play?" he teased her.

She crossed her arms against her chest. "Fine. Truth or dare?"

Cassian thought for a moment. "Truth."

Nesta clasped her hands behind her back as she strolled about the room, looking again at all the books that surrounded them. "How many girls have you brought to this room, including me?"

"One."

Nesta halted her steps to look back at Cassian sitting on the floor. She looked completely bewildered. "I said 'including me.'"

"I know," he said. "It's only been you."

"But the seventh-year Ravenclaw - "

"I ended up not bringing her here after realizing I shouldn't be with someone who's ashamed to be seen with me."

"Wow, so you actually have standards," she remarked.

Choosing to let her comment slide, he resumed their game. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she instantly said.

There wasn't much that could be done to embarrass someone when you're playing in a secret room with no other people around. And he certainly didn't want to leave the room just yet for risk of ruining this time with Nesta. Just the two of them had been...pleasant. "I dare you to give me a compliment." He looked at her devilishly.

Nesta took a deep breath and squinted her eyes, while in deep thought.

"Any day now," Cassian pressed her when she remained quiet for over a minute.

"My apologies. It's hard to think of something," she said casually as she sauntered around him.

Looking unimpressed, Cassian crossed his arms against his chest and waited.

And waited.

"I suppose…" Nesta began. "You're not terrible at Quidditch."

"That was barely a compliment," Cassian complained. But the fact she had paid attention to him playing quidditch was...intriguing.

"But a compliment, nonetheless. Truth or dare?" she quickly questioned him.

Cassian pouted. "Truth," he grunted.

"How many girls have you kissed since being back at school this year?"

Cassian perked up his head. "Why do you care about that?"

"I'm not required to tell you why I'm asking a question."

Such an infuriating, stubborn girl, this one…

And yet, he knew that was partially why he liked her so much.

"Zero," he answered emphatically.

Nesta stopped and whipped her head in his direction. "Really?"

Cassian nodded. "Really."

"I'm shocked. We've been back for over a month now, and you haven't kissed anyone?"

"Nope," he said as he got up off the floor and started walking towards her.

It had actually been over four months since he'd kissed a girl.

Because there was only one girl he wanted to kiss...

"I figured you would've kissed at least one girl a week."

"Guess you don't know me as well as you thought," he stated as he leaned against the bookshelf right beside her.

"Or you're losing your charm," she retorted, crossing her arms against herself as she tilted her head up at him.

Dramatically, Cassian put his hand over his heart. "You wound me," he cried out.

Nesta rolled her eyes.

"But you do admit then that at some point, I was charming?" he eagerly replied.

"No, I misspoke. I think the girls have finally realized you never had charm to begin with."

Cassian smirked. "You admitted I was charming."

Nesta groaned. "Stop gloating. I pick 'dare,' by the way."

"I dare you to tell me why you want know how many girls I've kissed and how many I've brought to this room."

"That's not a real dare! That's a 'truth' disguised as a dare," she yelled at him.

"You didn't give me a true compliment!" Cassian shouted back.

"Ugh, fine." Nesta sighed. "I'm just trying to see if…"

"If…?" Cassian encouraged her to go on.

"If I'm just...one of the many," Nesta finished quietly.

Cassian's gaze lost its cheeky amusement. "Nesta," he said as he stood upright and grabbed her hands. "You are not just one of the many. I spent nearly every day of my summer thinking about you. I've never brought a girl to the kitchens before. There's not even a girl I've probably talked to as much as you, with all the times we've teased each other over the years."

Nesta stared up at him thoughtfully.

And then Cassian's stomach chose that precise moment to grumble.

Effectively ruining the moment.

Nesta pulled her hands away from him and looked down at her watch. "I guess it's already dinnertime…"

"I guess we should head off to eat with the other students in the Great Hall then…" Cassian said, hating himself for saying it, not wanting their time together to end. He'd much rather eat with her alone again.

"I guess we should," she stated reluctantly.

"But I don't really want to," he admitted.

"I don't...really want to either," she agreed.

It felt like his stomach did somersaults when he heard her say those words. Beaming, he held out his hand in invitation for her to grab it again. "To the kitchens, then?"

And with a demure smile, she grasped it tightly, permitting him to lead the way. "To the kitchens."

* * *

It was when they made their way down the many staircases that an idea came to Cassian for where he and Nesta could eat their dinner. It just required a few more items…

When they had arrived at the kitchens, he had instructed Ollie to prepare two dinner meals to-go and told Nesta to wait for him there while he retrieved a few things from his room.

As he rushed back to the kitchens, he only prayed that she had indeed stayed in the kitchens and wasn't having seconds thoughts about eating dinner with him.

Finally - _finally_ \- he had gotten some sort of sign that maybe - just _maybe_ \- she liked him back.

Or could potentially like him.

Or at least liked him enough to spend more time with him.

...If she didn't back out.

The thought pushed him to move his feet even faster, nearly tripping over himself as he passed all the chattering witches and wizards within the various portraits along the walls.

Out of breath and bearing a blanket and a cloak, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Nesta still waiting for him, holding a basket that he bet contained the food prepared by the house-elves.

"You have the food?" he asked to confirm.

Nesta gave him a firm nod.

"Let's go," he stated, beginning to walk out of the kitchens.

"Is this another secret?" Nesta asked as she followed him.

"You bet," Cassian exclaimed with a wink back at her.

This time, she didn't look hesitant and unsure. Instead, she seemed...intrigued and eager.

 _More progress._

Once they went up the staircase and reached the ground level, Cassian leisurely strolled alongside Nesta and guided her outside through one of the castle's doors

"We're going outside?" Nesta wondered. "I don't have my - "

"I got you covered," Cassian cut her off, knowing she was going to say she didn't have her cloak or jacket. He halted his steps. "Hold this," he instructed as he handed her the blanket. He then unfurled the cloak within his arms and hooked it around Nesta's shoulders.

Seeing her wear his cloak made her look even more attractive to him.

Why did he do this to himself…

She seemed grateful for the gesture...until she tilted her head down to look closer at the cloak she was wearing and grimaced.

"What?"

"It has the silly Gryffindor emblem on it," she noted before looking up at him. "But I suppose I will survive wearing it just for one night…" She finished with a soft smile.

Cassian chuckled as he took the blanket out of her arms. "I sure hope so."

As they resumed their walk, a gentle, cool breeze blew past them. With his free hand, Cassian grabbed Nesta's free one and eagerly led her down the slope toward the Great Lake. He beamed when she tightened her grasp on his hand.

The sun was just beginning to set over the lake waters. Once they were near the edge of the lake, Cassian let go of her hand to lay down the blanket. Nesta promptly set down the basket of food and sat down upon the blanket. Cassian followed suit.

Upon opening the basket, they found a delectable meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, treacle tart for dessert and bottles of pumpkin juice.

As they dug into their meal, they watched the sun descend over the glistening waters.

"It's beautiful," Nesta commented softly.

Cassian inclined his head toward hers. "Not as beautiful as you," he whispered.

Nesta groaned. "You really need some new material."

"Well everything about you is impossible to properly compliment," he said in his smooth-talking voice. "You are simply indescribable."

Nesta rolled her eyes and shook her head back and forth as she swallowed some potatoes. "Good grief, you are so...ridiculous!"

"I think what you meant to say was _'Cassian, you are so ridiculously handsome, and I can't imagine spending this beautiful night with anyone else.'"_

"' _Can't imagine spending the beautiful night with anyone else?'"_ she exclaimed incredulously. "I certainly can! If I was here with Hugh Grisman from Hufflepuff, he'd be too frightened to talk."

Despite being thwarted of being given a compliment from Nesta once more, Cassian's eyes still contained a hint of amusement.

"Or, imagine if I was here with Lawrence Milton from Ravenclaw. He would be going on and on about all the science behind the sun," Nesta joked as she turned her gaze upward.

"Imagine if you were here with Walton Azley from Gryffindor," Cassian piped in. "He'd probably try to convince you to go walking through the water with him in search of some obscure magical creature."

Nesta chuckled, and it was a sound that Cassian wished he could hear over and over again. He started laughing with her.

"If I was with Artemis Braxton, he'd probably charm me with his singing voice and sweep me in arms to -"

"Okay, I think that's enough," Cassian sternly interjected and stopped laughing. While Artemis Braxton was a famous singer who would likely never be on a date with Nesta, the thought of someone else wooing her and wrapping his arms around her sent jealousy running through him.

From the way Nesta smirked at him, he could tell she was well aware how that image made him feel.

"You have no right to get in a huff about this," she said rather calmly. "Especially since you've probably been here with - "

"I haven't been on a picnic with any other girl," Cassian was quick to reply. "It's only been you," he stated earnestly.

The smug grin vanished from her face. Instead, she looked pensively down at her food as she ate.

Cassian let out a slow breath he didn't realize he was holding and resumed eating his peas, while Nesta continued to pick at her roast beef. The sun's last remaining rays faded from the sky, and for a short while, they sat in silence and simply listened to the whistling of the wind.

But then, Cassian heard Nesta suddenly put her utensils down on the now empty plate in her lap. In the darkness, she focused her gaze down at the plate.

"Earlier today, Tomas...he just wanted me for sex," she whispered. "And then when I rejected him, he said he didn't know what fuckin' mudbloods were even good for then."

Rage flowed through Cassian's body. He was livid, absolutely livid. His hands, which gripped his fork and his plate, began to tremble from his anger. Tossing the plate to the side, he hurriedly stood up off the ground.

He was going to pummel that piece of…

" _Lumos,_ " he somehow heard Nesta say over the sound of his raging heartbeat. "Where are you going?" she asked angrily as she held out her lit wand so she could see him.

"I'm going to murder Mandray," he stated seriously.

"No, you aren't. Sit back down," she ordered sternly. "Now."

"You don't deserve to be treated that way!" Cassian cried out, trying to make her understand. But when Nesta's glare did not disappear, he begrudgingly sat back down on the blanket.

"You don't need to be causing anymore trouble," she said as she grabbed hold of his hand and intertwined their fingers. "If you become a murderer, I don't want to have to see that handsome face of yours hidden behind the bars of Azkaban."

Cassian suddenly sat up straight. "Did you just willingly compliment me?"

Nesta nodded. "Perhaps you should document this moment since it's such a rare occurrence and probably won't happen ever again."

If he wasn't so enraged, Cassian would've chuckled at her comment. "Can I at least hit him with the bludger multiple times during our next match against Slytherin?" he wondered aloud.

"Sure."

He stared at her in the glow of her wand for a moment. "You're really going to let him get away with this?"

"Of course not. In time, I will retaliate," she remarked with a delighted sneer.

"Good," he said with a conniving smile. "Let me know if you need any help."

"You've already helped me enough today," she said seriously and squeezed his hand. Nesta dropped her lit wand onto the picnic blanket, then began shifting her body so she was right beside him, her thigh grazing his. She rested her head on his shoulder. Cassian released her hand and instantly wrapped it around Nesta's back to pull her closer. He inhaled her lavender scent and tried to calm his heartbeat that was racing from the excitement of being so close to her.

"Thank you, Cassian," she said softly as she tilted her head up, her nose brushing briefly against his cheek. "For today," she added.

"You're welcome," he whispered back.

Those eyes...they were like magnets. Always pulling him in and making him never want to remove his gaze.

And those luscious lips...they called to him. He wanted to kiss her so badly…

Slowly inching his face toward hers, Cassian took a deep breath, and he could see Nesta doing the same.

But suddenly, her eyes widened in shock and she shot up to her feet. "Oh no," she gasped.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling alarmed and standing up with her.

She glanced down at her watch. "I have to go. I completely forgot about my shift tonight to patrol some of the corridors."

Hurriedly, she took the cloak off her body and handed it off to Cassian.

But she couldn't leave. Not yet...not when they had come so far.

"Just forget about it. Don't go," he pleaded as he tossed his cloak to the ground and attempted to grab hold of Nesta's wrist.

"I have to leave," she said firmly, dodging his grasp as she picked up her wand. "Goodnight," she said before rushing off to the castle door.

* * *

Despite Nesta's abrupt departure, Cassian was in a state of elation for a while.

He had finally been on a date with Nesta. And now he couldn't wait to ask her to go out on a second one.

Their time together was so...simple and quaint. But they were alone, and he had felt so relaxed around her. It was just...different from when he'd spent time with other girls. He didn't have to feel like he was pretending to be someone else. She was someone who could relate to him and just...understand. Someone he could be vulnerable with.

Plus, he finally got to hear her admit he was handsome.

Then there was the fact they they held hands multiple times and she let him wrap his arm around her...signs that she didn't truly despise his company. That she felt _something_ for him in return.

For the evening after their date and the next couple of days, it was like he was in a daze. Rhys and Az wondered what was wrong with him. He kept humming to himself as he walked through the corridors of the castle, and he could hardly pay attention to what was going on around him. Every time he turned a corner, he kept hoping that Nesta would be there, happening to walk in his direction.

Alas, he wasn't so lucky.

At meal times, he'd stretch out his neck to take a peek over at the Slytherin table, hoping he'd find her among the crowd and throw a wink her way. Maybe even offer to whisk her off to the kitchens again.

But he never saw her.

But when their Potions class on Tuesday was approaching, Cassian was ecstatic at the thought of finally seeing Nesta and asking her out again...with hopefully more success this time around. He even arrived to class fifteen minutes earlier with the hope that he could talk to her before class. And he _never_ got to class early.

But she never showed up for class...which seemed so unlike her. He'd never known her to miss class.

So that afternoon, he decided to attempt to seek her out. He went to the library for a while, pretending to study as he periodically looked around for Nesta's head bent over a book as he so often saw in the past.

But there was no sign of her.

On Wednesday afternoon, he hung around outside the entrance to the Slytherin dormitory for a while, thinking he could at some point catch her coming in or out. He ended up receiving a lot of dirty and suspicious looks from various Slytherins...none of them from the one he was looking for. When he saw one seventh-year Slytherin female leaving the dormitory, he blatantly asked her if Nesta was inside. The female frowned at him - seemingly perturbed that a Gryffindor was talking to her - and reluctantly informed him that she hadn't seen her since that morning.

At least someone had seen her and he knew she was alive.

On Thursday, he was thrilled once more about going to Potions class, again getting to the class early, because surely Nesta wouldn't miss _two_ classes…

But once again, she never showed up.

And so Cassian's euphoria began to dampen.

* * *

The night Nesta patrolled the corridors after her picnic with Cassian, she found it...terribly difficult to keep her mind off of him.

They had almost kissed and...she could not believe herself. If she didn't remember her patrol shift, she probably would've let him.

The thought flustered her.

This was Cassian she was talking about. Cassian!

A boy who took every chance to annoy her, to tease her, to argue with her, to make sarcastic comments and innuendos to her constantly for the past several years.

It was ridiculous.

Her and him together...preposterous!

It simply didn't make sense. He cared more about quidditch than studying for his N.E.W.T. exams. He didn't come from a high social standing family that could help advance her career, which is what she had always pictured for herself.

She may have read tons of romance novels with grand gestures and declarations of love, but...she never pictured such things happening to _her._ Others had always considered her unkind, snobby, and unlikable. It's what made it so hard for her to make friends.

So she never thought she'd ever be a part of a swoon-worthy scenario where a boy got her pancakes because she was hungry and took her to a room that he had transformed into one of her favorite places and then take her on a picnic by the lake.

Nesta groaned. She had admitted to herself that Cassian's actions were _swoon-worthy._

What had gotten into her? How could she let her barriers come down? She even started telling him about her issues with her father. She hardly even discussed such things with her sisters. And then he even opened up to her about his parents. She had never known that his father walked out on him…

No. She had to stop thinking about this. She needed to forget it. He had his date with her, he got what he wanted. Now, he would probably never want to hang out with her ever again.

To her both her displeasure and her pleasure, a visual of him and his silly smirking face formed in her mind as soon as she awoke Sunday morning.

And then when she went to brush her hair and put it in a braid crown, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to have Cassian's hands run through her hair.

 _Ugh._ Why would she imagine such things?

Things that are not meant to be and should never happen.

She'd need to keep her distance from him for a little while. Give herself space to allow herself to forget about him.

(Even though part of her was also _dying_ to see him again.)

So for the next few days, she spent most of her time in the Room of Requirement, which she figured no one else would be able to enter if it was in use. If she hung out in the library, she knew there was a chance she could run into him. And she certainly couldn't eat her meals in the Great Hall, or she would see him. Luckily, Cassian had shown her how to get to the kitchens…

But unfortunately in her determination to not see him, she kept being reminded of him because she was going to the places he had introduced her to.

She still attended her classes, but when Tuesday rolled around, she just knew she couldn't face him yet. She had to get herself together and build up her walls around her once more before she saw him again. So...for once in her life, she skipped class.

Then skipped for the second time in her life when it was time for Potions class on Thursday.

Because. She. Still. Could. Not. Get. Him. Out. Of. Her. Head.

She wanted to scream.

Every day, she thought of him and wished he was with her.

But then she would get frazzled and wonder why she felt this way.

Was she completely delusional? Was she sick? What was making her feel this way? Why couldn't she just forget him already?

This was how she envisioned what being under the spell of a love potion would feel like.

A love potion...

Could he have possibly slipped her a love potion at some point?

That had to be it. There was just _no way_ she would feel this way on her own accord.

But now she was fuming...over the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about him on top of the possibility that he had slipped her a love potion.

Now she knew she needed to see him and get to the bottom of this madness once and for all.

She glanced down at her watch. It was roughly an hour before dinner. He could be anywhere...perhaps in his dormitory or at quidditch practice.

Quidditch practice.

Hurriedly, she grabbed her satchel to search for her notebook that contained schedules of classes, quidditch, clubs, and more for prefect purposes. Opening her notebook, she flipped through the pages to the one she was looking for.

 _Quidditch Practice - Thursdays_

 _4:00pm - Ravenclaw_

 _5:00pm - Gryffindor_

Without even a second thought, she departed the Room of Requirement and headed straight to the quidditch pitch.

* * *

When she arrived, she indeed found the Gryffindor team huddled together on the ground, finishing up their practice.

With her arms crossed, she walked onto the field and leaned back against the barricade that separated the stands from the field. Her eyes found Cassian's tall form in the distance immediately. His silky, dark hair was pulled back into a bun and his athletic wear made his muscles look more pronounced.

Nesta scolded herself and reminded herself to remain focused. She needed to confront Cassian and find out if he gave her a love potion. She just needed to wait a little bit, since she certainly didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone else.

The Gryffindor team huddle broke apart, and when Cassian stepped away, his eyes instantly found hers and his face broke out in the widest grin she'd ever seen on anyone.

No, the smile did not make her weak in the knees.

She refused to let it.

...but failed.

Her whole plan had been to stomp over to him and make her frustrations known. Instead, he was now gleefully jogging toward her with his broom in his hand while the rest of the team dispersed, heading to the changing rooms.

Her body refused to move. Too frozen from that damn smile and the way he was currently looking at her.

"Nes," he said when he approached. "Where have you been? Did something happen?" His voice was filled with concern, and his free hand neared her as if he was about to grab her hand.

She certainly could not allow that to happen. Lifting up her wand in her right hand, she jabbed its tip into the center of his chest to prevent him from going any further. "Stop it right there," she angrily ordered. "And don't _ever_ call me Nes."

Upon hearing her tone, Cassian frowned and outstretched his empty hand in confusion. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Nesta groaned and she jabbed the tip of her wand into his chest again. "I am _not_ your sweetheart."

"Ok, put your wand down," Cassian requested, his voice sounding like he was trying really hard to control his temper. "And _Nesta_ , please tell me what's wrong? I've been worried about you. You missed class, and you never miss class -"

"No," Nesta interrupted him, disregarding his request to put her wand down and instead tapping his chest with it. "No, you don't get to say these things and act like you know me so well!"

"But I _do_ know you," Cassian said with traces of frustration and impatience. "At least a little! And I want to get to know you better!"

"Well, giving someone a love potion is a lousy way of showing that!" Nesta shouted back, and a look of complete and utter bewilderment covered Cassian's face.

"What? You think I gave you a love potion?!" Cassian exclaimed. "I've done _no_ such thing."

"Don't lie to me! Why else would I be feeling this way and constantly thinking about -" Nesta began to say, but abruptly stopped herself from saying anything more.

"Thinking about what? Me?" he questioned her, infuriated. "Is it so ridiculous to think you might actually like me that you assumed I must have used a love potion on you?"

Nesta slowly pulled her wand away from him and brought it down to her side as she stared at the ground, avoiding his gaze.

Cassian looked down at her peevishly. "I thought you knew me enough to know I would never do such a thing. I want to date you and be with you, but only if you truly want to be with me too. I loved spending time with you on Saturday, and it seemed like you enjoyed it too. But maybe you're only accusing me of using a potion because you're ashamed at the thought of liking me?"

Nesta kept staring at the ground beneath her feet, taking slow and steady breaths as she listened to Cassian's hurt voice.

She gave him no reply.

"No denial, then?" he asked in a pained voice. "Well, I suppose I should at least be flattered that you think _I'm_ smart enough to concoct a love potion that lasts for _several days_ , when most only seem to last for less than twenty-four hours with one dose. Goodnight, Nesta," he said gruffly before turning around and hurriedly marching off to the quidditch changing rooms.

Nesta lifted her head and watched him walk away.

This all wasn't some game to him. She should've known that just based on all that he did for her on Saturday.

The anguish in his voice just now further proved it.

And hearing that anguish made her feel like she was crumbling on the inside.

Of course he didn't use a stupid love potion. She had just been searching for any excuse at all to explain these feelings she had for him. Feelings of wanting to be with him and spend time with him and...kiss him.

She wasn't ashamed to have these feelings. Sure, it was a shock to have them for him. But she was mostly...afraid.

Afraid of being hurt and betrayed _because_ she had these feelings.

Why did she have to be so destructive?

When she saw Cassian enter the changing rooms, Nesta felt compelled to follow after him. She couldn't leave things like that.

It was time for her to be honest both with him and herself. No more coming up with excuses.

With her robes flowing around her, she ran across the pitch to the changing rooms.

As she rushed toward them, many of the other Gryffindor players were walking out and gave her quizzical looks. But she had no time to care...not that she ever would have cared anyway.

When she burst into the room, out of breath, she was relieved to find Cassian was the only one in there. He stood before a locker, angrily removing his leg and arm guards.

"Cassian," Nesta called out softly, causing Cassian to briefly glance up at her.

"Coming to get in one more insult because claiming I used a love potion wasn't enough?" he questioned her bitterly.

"No," she emphatically replied. "I… What's wrong with your hand?" she suddenly asked when she noticed his knuckles were completely swelled up.

Cassian just shrugged. "Just...hit a locker," he muttered before aggressively removing the glove off of his other hand.

Did he...punch a locker out of anger over her stupid words?

"Sit down and let me see it," Nesta demanded as she gently pushed Cassian down on the bench in front of the locker and quickly grabbed hold of his wrist before he could protest. She sat next to him and lifted his hand to inspect his knuckles, then took out her wand and directed it at the injury.

" _Glaciotious,"_ Nesta said and an icy coolness from her wand settled over the swollen area. "Are there bandages somewhere in here?"

Cassian shook his head. Nesta then took a quick glance around the room before glancing down at her own clothes. Letting go of Cassian's hand, she untied the tie from around her neck and threw it on the bench beside her. " _Linteumos,_ " Nesta stated as she directed her wand at it.

Before their eyes, her green and silver tie had transfigured into a long green and silver bandage. Picking it up, she brought it toward Cassian and gestured for him to stick out his hand once more.

He reluctantly did so, and Nesta placed her wand down on the bench and went about carefully wrapping the bandage around his knuckles.

"Nesta, what are you doing?" Cassian asked exasperatedly.

"Taking care of you," she replied.

"Why?"

"Because I care about you," she answered ardently as her fingertips grazed his skin, the touch sending goosebumps up her arm. "And that scares me," she added in a whisper.

His eyebrows rose up in arches at her words. "Why does that scare you?"

She tied a knot in the bandage and gently set his arm back at his side. "Because I could get hurt."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he stared at her intently.

"To care for someone and let them in and grow to love them...there's the chance that one day they'll just leave you or betray you or forget about you altogether."

 _Just like my father,_ she nearly added.

But from the way Cassian looked at her sympathetically, she sensed that he knew what she almost said. He swung one of his legs over onto the other side of the bench so he could fully face her. Taking one of her hands within his uninjured one, he rubbed circles with his thumb into the back of it.

"And I know I'm not easy to...care about either. I have a tendency to push people away...so it's just been easier to...isolate myself," she added.

"Nesta, I can't promise right now that we'll be together forever, and neither can you, but I know that what I feel for you is different from what I've felt for any other girl," Cassian explained fervently. "And I don't want to waste any time in our final year here if we want to give this a shot. You just need to decide if you're willing to take the risk."

Nesta closed her eyes as he spoke, debating and thinking over what she should do.

Mere minutes ago, she nearly became distraught over seeing Cassian walk away from her. It wasn't something she wanted to experience again. If they were together, there was the risk they would breakup and he would leave her. But if she decided right now not to go out with him again, he'd probably leave her alone completely...

The past few days since their unofficial date, she had missed him. Despite every effort to try to forget about him, she missed him too much. Perhaps, that was the real reason she felt the desire to go storming out onto the quidditch pitch today. She needed to see him.

But then she had cut him down with her insinuation of him using a love potion on her. It was how she shielded herself. Strike others down before they could hurt her.

However, this time, her strike against someone else also hurt her. She was already in too deep, so she might as well...try this out.

But she did so, she needed to apologize.

She opened her eyes and stared back at him. "I'm sorry I accused you of giving me a love potion."

An amused smile took over Cassian's face. "I will only accept your apology if you tell me what you meant when you said you were feeling a certain way and constantly thinking about something?"

Nesta rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious how I feel at this point?"

"I want to hear you say it. You've already heard me tell you a few times how I feel about you. It's time to return the favor."

"Fine," she said dramatically and squeezed his hand. "Despite you being a persistent and arrogant and demanding dolt, I like you and I like spending time with you."

Cassian gloated and squeezed her hand in return. "And what have you been constantly thinking about?"

Nesta sighed again. "You and how much I want to kiss that stupid grin off of your face."

Cassian's eyes grew big and his mouth dropped open.

Good. Just the reaction she was looking for. She smugly smiled at him as she leaned closer to him.

"So does this mean you'll take the risk and go out with me?" Cassian questioned her, his breath tickling her nose.

Nesta scrunched up her nose upon smelling a foul stench. He still hadn't cleaned up after practice. "That depends if you plan on showering anytime soon."

Cassian sighed as she leaned away from him. "I'll go shower right now. Meet me outside the Great Hall in twenty minutes?"

Nesta nodded in agreement.

"Great," he said dreamily as he squeezed her hand one more time before releasing it. "I expect a real answer to my question then."

"Wait," she said as she grabbed his injured hand. " _Plasticus,"_ she stated when she pointed her wand at his bandage, charming it to turn into plastic. "For your shower," she explained.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Nesta simply gave him a smile before getting up and heading out of the changing rooms, while he made his way to the shower stall.

On her way to the castle, an idea popped into Nesta's mind.

* * *

Following his shower in the quidditch changing rooms, Cassian raced to the Great Hall, eager to hear Nesta finally say that she would go out with him.

...and possibly finally kiss her.

Having heard her say she had been thinking about kissing the grin off of his face had been such a surprise. He never thought he'd ever hear her admit that. Especially when he would have just been satisfied with her saying that she had been constantly thinking of him.

Finally, they seemed to be on the same wavelength.

When the Great Hall entrance was finally in sight, he didn't see Nesta anywhere.

Was she avoiding him again? Did she freak out again? He had just seen her a mere twenty minutes ago. How could her feelings change so quickly?

Suddenly, a door he passed on his left opened and a hand reached out, grabbing hold of his arm and yanking him into the room…

Which turned out to be a tiny dimly-lit space filled with various broomsticks, mops and buckets.

And none other than Nesta Archeron.

Nesta closed the door behind them and gently pushed him so his back was up against the wall. She wrapped her hands around his neck, bringing his face down to hers to capture his lips in a fervent kiss. Once over the shock of this unexpected event, Cassian placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him, needing to be as close to her as he possibly could.

The taste of her was better than he had envisioned and he couldn't get enough. When she would hesitantly pull away the slightest bit, he dove right back into the kiss, gently tugging at her lips with his teeth to pull her back in.

At some point, he did remember however that he'd been expecting her to answer his question. Reluctantly, he pulled his lips away from hers, and the two of them stood with their foreheads resting against each other's. Her heavy breathing matched his own.

"I knew you always wanted to snog me in a broom closet," he remarked cheekily.

"I needed to see what all the fuss was about," she replied as she moved her hands up into his unbound hair and ran her fingers through it over and over again. "But if another prefect catches me, you're dead," she added rather seriously.

"I'm dead? You're the one who dragged me in here!"

"But you're the one who keeps kissing me."

"Because you started it," he noted before giving her a quick peck on the lips. "And you're too intoxicating."

Her eyes glimmered like the stars as she blushed.

"So Nesta Archeron, will you go out with me?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "Yes," she breathed.

Cassian beamed as he planted her with a passionate kiss.

"Are you ready to go to the Great Hall?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Not yet," she said before leaning forward to kiss him again.

"Maybe we can eat in the kitchens later instead," he mumbled against her lips.

"I like that plan," she whispered before wrapping her arms tighter around his neck and kissing him ravenously.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it! I apologize for any errors...I was sick when I edited this!

Cassian just seems like he would totally be like a Hogwarts-era Sirius Black to me XD anyone else agree? :)

Right now, this is just a oneshot. But do I have ideas for other Nessian dates/issues while at Hogwarts? Yes. Will I ever write them? I have no idea. I kinda want take a break, kinda want to go back to writing my post-ACOFAS fic, haha. So we'll see!


End file.
